Automobile headlight



June 22, 1926. 1,590,017

c. E. GODLEY AUTOMOBILES HEADLIGHT 2 Sheets-Sheet 1- Gav/ E. 207

June 22 1926. 1,590,017

(2. E. GODLEY AUTOMOBILE HEADLIGHT Filed Feb. 11, 1924 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 jZZ/67ZZ57; Czar/el Gad 7 Patented June 22, 1926.

UNITED STATES;

CHARLES E. GODLEY, OF DETRGIT, MICHIGAN, ASEEIGNOB TO EDIMUNIDS 85 JONES COR- PORATION OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN, A COEPORATIGN 01? NEW YORK.

AUTOMOBILE HEADLIGHT.

Application filed February 11, 1924.

In one general aspect, my invention aims to provide a yielding door latching arrangement which will afford a tight and nonrattling closure between the mouth of the reflector and the lens or other transparent member of the door, while compensating for variations in the size or assembly of the parts so as to avoid a breakage of lenses. Furthermore, my invention aims to accomplish this while'maintaining the reflector stationary with respect to the lamp body, so that the reflector will at all times have a predetermined position with respect to lamp carried by the lamp body. It also aims to provide for the easy detaching or replacing of the reflector without requiring the use of tools.

Since the rattling of lamp parts is highly objectionable and since the eiiiciency of the lamp depends to a considerable extent on the exclusion of dust. from the interior of the reflector, it has long been customary to have the reflector and the lens of the door pressed towards each. other, desirably with a packing ring interposed between them, so as to afford a tight and noiseless seal between these parts. This has sometimes been accomplished by having the reflector carried by the door and yieldingly pressed towards the latter, as for example after the manner of the Jones Patent No. 1045852. Such an arrangement has the objection that it does not readily afford access to the interior of the reflector and the back of the lens for clean ing these parts, and also that it does not lend itself to using a lamp supported from the back of the lamp body without requiring an unusually large central opening in the back of the reflector.

It has also been customary to secure such a sealing and non-rattling feature by mounting the reflector floatingly in the lamp body and having it pressed forwardly towards the door by means of springs, as for example after the manner of the Godley Patent No.

Serial No. 691,978.

107 1712. This has the objection that the reflector varies in position with'respect to the lamp body (and hence with respect to any lamp rigidly mounted on the latter) acing action of the door latch. It also has the further objection that when the door is removed, the reflector is pressed forward out of its normal position, so that the focusing of the lamp can not be effected while the door is removed.

My present invention aims to secure a sealing and rattle-preventing provision free from both of these objections, and also aims to secure other desirable objects which will appear from the following specification and from the accompanying drawings:

To accomplish such objects, my invention provides stop means carried by the lamp body for positively limiting the rearward movement of the reflector into this body, provides a yielding door latch interposed between the lamp body and the door for yieldingly drawing the door rearwardly, employs the resulting rearward thrust on the lens of the door for pressing the reflector rearward- 1y against the stop means, and provides a packing ring between the reflector and the lens to seal the joint between these lamp parts. It also arranges parts of the latching means so that they will normally hold the reflector against forward movement, provides means for preventing the reflector from rota-ting while so held, and provides for the detaching of certain latch parts to permit the reflector to be moved forwardly and then rotated when the reflector is to be removed. It also employs a part of this same door latch arrangement for pressing the reflector against the stop means when the door is unlatched or detached, and provides desirable means on the door for receivthe thrust on the latch parts carried by the door.

Furthermore, my invention provides a reflector rim so formed as to permit a distortion of the same in case the clamping pressure is not uniform at various points on the rim, and provides stop means so shaped with respect to the reflector rim as to afford a bearing which will permit this distortion.

My invention also provides a door latch arrangement in which each set of cooperat ing latching members on the lamp body and the door includes a spring which can readily cording to the extent of the rearward press-- be attached or detached without the use of tools and which is adapted to press the reflector rearwardly when the door is detached. Moreover my invention provides a construction for this purpose in which each such spring has portions engaging an adjacent rigid hook portion so as to prevent a bodily movement of the spring, in which each spring ms a bend adapted to ride over a hump on the adjacent latching member on the door to deter rotation of the door in one direction, while each hook has a part engaged by a portion of the adjacent latching member on the door to limit the rotational movement of the door in the other direction.

Illustrative of my invention, I am showing portions of a lamp equipped with a highly desirable embodiment of this nvention, although I do not wish to be limited to the particular details of construction and arrangement thus disclosed. In the drawings,

Fig. 1 is a central and longitudinal section through an automobile head lamp embodying my invention.

Fig. 2 is a front view of the same head lamp with the door removed.

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the reflector alone.

Fig. 4: is a fragmentary perspective View of the lamp with the door removed and with a latching spring detached from the corre sponding hook-shaped element and showing the reflector as it appears when it is being attached or detached.

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary front elevation of the lamp with the door and a latching spring detached, showing the position of the inter-- engaging tab and recess formations on the reflector and lamp body with respect to one of the hook-shaped spring carriers.

Fig. 6 is an elevation of the parts shown in Fig. 5, with the spring attached to the hook-shaped spring carrier and with the nearer side of the lamp body cut away to show the mounting of the said spring carrier.

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary section through the lens ring, the latching members and the adjacent parts, taken radially of the lamp.

Fig. 8 is a fragmentary perspective view, taken from the rear of the lens ring to show one of the latching elements carried by this ring and the manner in which it holds the lens.

Fig. 9 is fragmentary section taken radially of the lamp and showing an alternative shaping of the reflector rim and of the stop flange on the lamp body.

Fig. 10 is a perspective view of the spring forming part of one of the latching members carried by the lamp body.

Fig. 11 is a fragmentary section taken longitudinally of the lamp along the line 11-11 of Fig. 7 (or in the opposite direction from Fig. 6) and showing how the spring of one of the latching members on the lamp body engages the corresponding latching member on the door.

Referring to the drawings. the illustrated lamp comprise. a forwardly open casing or lamp body 1 having an inwardly directed flange 2 which extends substantially radial of the axis of the lamp and which serves as the stop means against which the reflector continually bears. )isposed within the lamp body is a reflector 2%- having its rim formed outwardly to pr vide a forwardly concaved annular groove 4 adjacent to the mouth of the reflecting portion, this rim being then bent back to afford a rearwardly extending rim portion 5 and thereafter recurved to afford an outwardly directed rim flange 6. This rim flange preferably converges rearwardly of the lamp to aids the stop flange 2 on the lamp body, so as to en gage this stop flange only along the outer edge of the rim flange, or substantially along a single circular line.

Extending through a central opening in the reflector is a socket 7 for carrying the usual lamp 8, this socket being slidable through the said opening in the reflector and adjustable forward or rearward of the lamp by means of a screw 18 which has its head disposed at the back of the lamp body and by means of which the lamp can be ad justed in position so as to focus it with respect to the reflector. Normally closing the mouth of the lamp body and the reflector is a door which includes a lens ring 9 carrying a lens 10 and having a peripheral flange 11 extending alongside a portion of the lamp body. iittached to the lens ring are a plurality of latching elements which spaced circiunferentially of the ring and each of which includes a latch plate 12 extending substantially radially of the ring inwardly from the peripheral flange 11 of the latter. Each of these latching elements desirably has a portion thereof formed for engaging an adjacent part of the lens so as to secure the lens to the lens ring and to prevent rotation. of the lens with respect to the lens ring as hereafter more fully described.

Cooperating with the said latching plates 12 on the door are companion latching members which are carried by the lamp body and are correspondingly spaced. each of these companion latching members being adapted to engage one of the latch plates so as to press the latter yieldingly rearward of the lamp body.

For this purpose, the embodiment of Figs. 1 to 7 inclusive shows latching members constructed after the manner of my copending application No. 632033, filed April 14-, 1923, on a lamp door lock, namely spring-carriers mounted on the lamp body and having hook-shaped portions projecting forwardly of the engaging flanges on the reflector rim and the lamp body, together with detachable springs each of which is interlocked with the hook-shaped portion of one of these spring carriers. Thus, Fig. 6 shows such a spring carrier formed of a sheet metal punching having a base 13 disposed back of the stop flange 2 on the lamp body, this base portion being secured to the lamp body by any desirable means, as for example by welding the same to the side wall 1 of the lamp body with which it contacts after the manner shown in Fig. 1. Projecting forwardly from this base 13 through a corresponding opening in the body flange 2 is a shank 14 which connects the said base with the thrust por tion 15 of the spring carrier. This thrust portion desirably extends parallel to the body flange 2 but considerably forwardly of the latter. Interposed between this thrust portion 15 of the spring carrier and the rim flange 6 of the reflector whicn bears against the forward face of the body flange 2, is a compression spring which desirably is formed of a flat strip of spring metal doubled upon itself to afford a forward shank 16 and a rear shank 17. The forward shank 16 of the spring desirably has its free end forked so as to straddle the shank 14 of the spring carrier and also desirably has a perforation for receiving a rearward projection 18 on the thrust portion 15 of the adjacent spring carrier, while the other shank of the spring desirably has a bend near its free end, as shown in Fig. 10. Each spring as thus constructed can readily be slipped into position without the use of tools by sliding its free ends under the thrust member 15 of one of the hook members, the spring being manually compressed when this is being done, thereby causing the projection 18 on the hook member to snap into a perforation 29 in the upper shank 16 of the spring. hen thus snapped into position, the projection 18 holds the spring against longitudinal movement, while the two arms of the forked free end of the shank 16 engage the sides of the shank 14 of the hook member so as to prevent lateral and rotational movement of the spring with respect to the hook member.

The perforation in the body flange 2 through which the shank 14 of the spring carrier projects is desirably formed by a recess 19 at the inner edge of this flange, as shown in Fig. 5, and this recess -desirably has a narrower extension 19 continuing the opposite direction from the shank 14 than the direction in which the thrust portion 15 of the spring carrier extends. Thus arranged, each recess extension 19 is adapted to receive a tab 20 of a corresponding width which is formed from the rim flange 6 of the reflector and which projects rearwardly of the reflector as shown in Figs. 3 and 4. When the reflector is in its normal position, the engagement of the lateral edges of each tab 20 with the ends of the recess extension 19 prevent the reflector from rotating with respect to the lamp body and cooperate with the said springs in holding the reflector stationary. However. by pressing the free end of the forward. shank 16 of the springs rearwardly, these springs can be manually compressed sufliciently to cause the hook projections 18 to snap out of the corresponding perforations 29 in the spring shanks 16, thereby permit-- ting the springs to be detached without the use of tools and then leaving the reflector free to move forwardly of the lamp body. lVhen this has been done, the reflector can readily be dr wn forwardly until the rear ends of the tabs 20 clear the forward f2 ;:e of the body flange 2, after which the refleet-or can be rotated to bring the thrust portion 15 of the said hook-shaped latching members opposite the recesses made in the rim of the reflector by forming the tabs 20 in the manner thus described. The reflector then has each tab portion in the position shown in Fig. 4, so that the recess adjacent to this tab clears the thrust portion 15 on the adjacent hook, thereby permitting the reflector to be detached instantly. Likewise, by first slipping the reflector into a position corresponding to Fig. 4 and then slightly rotating the reflector with respect to the lamp body, the tabs 20 can be seated in the corresponding body flange recess extensions 19 so as to dispose the reflector in its nor-- mal position in which a portion of its rim 6 is disposed behind the thrust portion 15, after which the springs can be manually slipped into their normal positions.

The lamp parts as above described are so proportioned that the lens of the door will engage the packing ring 24 on the reflector while the latch plates 12 are still freely spaced from the rim flange 6 of the reflector, so that the action of the springs causes the door to be floatingly supported, the latch plates 12 being freely spaced from the reflector flange 6 when the door is attached, as shown in Fig. 11. The spring pressure is then transmitted through the lens ring and the lens to the packing ring and through the latter to the reflector, so that the reflector normally has its rim flange pressed against the stop flange 2 on the lamp body through the intermediary of the door. In practice, variations often occur in the precise dimensions of some of the parts or in their assembly, and particularly in the size of the lens which often has portions of its rim of varynng thickness.

forming the rim of" my reflector with a rear-- ward-1y directed portion 5 adjoined to the outer rim flange 6 through a rim portion of curved section, and by causing this rim flange 6 to bear only at its outer edge against the stop flange 2 on the lamp body, I provide suiiicient flexibility and resiliency in the rim portion of the reflector so that this can yield in response to irregular strains occurring adjacent to the several sets of latching members. Consequently, I entirely avoid the breakage of lenses which heretofore has been a considerable item of expense with so many head lamp constructions.

in thus transmitting the pressure to the reflector through the intermediary of the lens rin of the door, the spring portions of my latching hook structure tend to pull the latch plates 12 of the lens ring away from the front of the latter. To resist this strain, 1 desirably form these latch plates as portions of latching members formed after the manner shown in Fig. 8 and having rearwardly projecting portions 19' which extend into grooves formed by bending the outer rear edge of the lens ring back upon itself after the manner also shown in Fig. 7. Then I also desirably provide each of these latching members with an integral tongue having a rearwardly extending shank 21 terminating in a tongue 22 which extends radially inward of the lamp. Then I provide the lens 10 with recess formations respectively entered by the shanks 21 of the said tongues, so that engagement of these tongue shanks with the recess formations will prevent a lateral or rotational shifting of the lens with respect to the lens ring, while the tongues 22 of the latching memhere will hold the lens close to the front of the lens ing. In providing this arrangement for utilizing the latching members also in securing the lens to the lens ring of the door, I have found it immaterial whether or not the lens is pressed ti 'htly against the lens ring, as the pressure exerted by the springs of the latching arrangement clamps the lens tightly between the lens ring and the packing ring 24-. when the door is in its normal closure position, thereby avoiding all rattling and affording a tight seal between the reflector and the lens.

hen the door is to be attached, it is first slipped rearwardly with each of the latch plates 12 disposed at one side of one of the hook and spring assemblages, namely close to the bight of the spring, and the door is then rotated so as to cause the latch plates to slip between the rear shanks 17 of the springs and the reflector rim 6. During this rotational movement of the door the rearwardly convexed bend 27 near the free end of each spring shank l7 rides over a hump 26 on the adjacent latch plate, and a slight further rotating of the door causes one edge of each latch plate to engage the shank 14 of the adjacent hook member. Hence these hook shanks positively stop the rotational movement of the door in its attaching direction while the humps 26 deter a rotation of the door in the opposite or detaching direction. By employing rigid hook structures on the lamp body in conjunction with detachable springs, I per mit the springs to be detached in case the reflector to be replaced or if the springs should become weakened by corrosion, and with springs shaped as here described and pictured this can be done even by an inexperienced person without the use of tools.

However, while I have heretofore described my invention in a highly desirable embodiment including some of the same features which were disclosed in my said copending application, I do not wish to be limited to the details of the construction and arrangement thus disclosed, since many modifications might obviously be made without departing either from the spirit of my invention or from the appended claims.

For example, the stop means upon the body of the lamp might consist of a body flange 25 directed radially outward of the main portion of the body and sloping forward of the lamp as shown in Fig. 9 so as to contact only with the extreme peripheral portion of a reflector rim flange 6, in which case the flange of the reflector may extend in a plane substantially at right angles to the axis of the lamp body as shown in the same figure.

I claim as my invention 1. In a lamp, the combination with a forwardly open body member including a rigid radial flange at its mouth, of a reflector having a rim engaging the forward face of the said flange, the rim being provided with spaced recesses, hook structures carried by the body member and each having a portion fast upon the body member and normally extending forwardly of the said flange through one of the recesses and another portion engaging the reflector rim adjacent to the same recess, the body member and the reflector having relatively intel-engaging parts for preventing rotation of the reflector with respect to the body member, the said interengaging parts being formed to permit such rotation after a predetermined forward movement of the reflector so as to align the said recesses respec tively with the last named portions of the hook structures, the said last named portions including yielding means for normally pressing the reflector rim against the said flange.

2. A lamp as per claim 1, in which the yielding means comprise springs respectively detachable from the hook structures to permit a forward movement of the reflector. 3. In a lamp, a forwardly open body, a

reflector having a rim flange, means carried by the body and normally engaging the said rim flange to limit the rearward movement of the reflector, spring carriers mounted on the body and having thrust portions disposed forwardly of the said flange engaging means, springs respectively carried by the spring carriers, and a door having latch elements thereon engageable by the said s1 rings; the reflector rim having recesses normally out of central alinement with the thrust portions of the spring carriers so as to dispose reflector flange portions back of the said thrustportions, the reflector having rearwardly extending tabs at its said recesses; the body having shoulder formations engaging opposite edges of the said tabs for normally preventing rotation of the reflector with respect tothe body; the springs being disposed for directly engaging the reflector rim flange when the door is detached, and the springs being constructed so as to be ma11- ually detachable from the spring carriers to permit the reflector to be drawn forward and rotated so as to bring the said recesses into central alinement with the said thrust portions for permitting a detaching of the reflector.

4. In a lamp, a forwardly open reflector having an outwardly directed radial flange, a body housing the reflector and having a portion against which the reflector flange bears, a lamp door having a portion engaging the reflector to limit the rearward movement of the door, latch members fast on the door and spaced rearwardly from the face of the door, hook members fast on the body and each including a thrust portion disposed forwardly of the reflector flange, U-shaped springs detachably associated respectively with the thrust portions of the several hook members, each spring having a forward shank normally interlocked with the thrust portion of the associated hook member, and having its rear shank pressing rearwardly against the re flector flange when the door is detached; the door being rotatable on the body to swing the latch members respectively behind the thrust portions of the hook members so as to cause each latch member to move the rear shanks of the spring associated with the adjacent hook member forwardly and to dispose, each latch member so that the second shank of each spring en gages the latch member to press the latter rearwardly.

5. A lamp construction as per claim 4, in which each hook member has its thrust portion provided with a rearwardly directed projection and in which each spring has its forward shank provided with a perforation normaliy extending through the said perforation to hold the spring interlocked with the said thrust member.

6. A lamp construction as per claim 4, in which each hook member has its thrust portion provided with a rearwardly directed projection and in which each spring has its forward shank provided with a perforation normally extending through the said perforation to hold the spring interlocked with the said thrust member; and in which each hook member has a stem extending rearwardly from the thrust portion to sup port the latter, each spring having the free end of its forward shank formed to afford a pair of arms disposed respectively at opposite sides of the stem of the associated hook member so as to prevent bodily movement of the spring radially of the lamp.

7. The combination with a forwardly open lamp body and a door rotatable on the same, of door holding means comprising a plurality of latch plates fast on the door and spaced circumferentially of the latter, a corresponding number of hook members fast on the body and each including a thrust portion adapted to be disposed in front of one of the latch plates when the door is partially rotated after being applied to the lamp body; and U-shaped springs re spectively interposed between the said thrust portions and the latch plates and having one shank engaging each thereof, each latch plate having a forwardly directed formation over which the engaging portion of the adjacent spring rides during the said partial rotation of the door, each of the said hook members and the spring adjacent thereto being provided with interengaging formations to prevent bodily movement of the springs with respect to the hook mem bers.

8. A lamp construction as per claim 7, in which the thrust portion of each hook member has one end thereof engaging a portion of the associated spring adjacent to the bight of the spring to resist bodily movement of the spring circumferentially of the lamp during the attaching rotational movement of the door.

Signed at Chicago, Illinois, January 31,

CHARLES E. GODLEY. 

